We Used To Be Seven
by Ribeiro86
Summary: It was the first Thanksgiving after the war and Six Waltons siblings spend their time together, remembering their childhood and their loving family.


**Hello! **

**It was suppose to be published on Thanksgiving, since, it's a thankgiving story. Still, since i was having an author's block, i decided to post it now.**

**The story bellow, thakes place around season eight, just after the end of the war, but following the story ''The face we never forgot'' with a few information from the show itself.**

**Hope you like it.**

**Please enjoy**

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DSCWin, thanks fo the help

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**WE USED TO BE SEVEN**

The colors of Autumn had hit early in November of 1945. The War had been over for several months now and with Thanksgiving approaching, the country was eager to celebrate the first holiday since the dark time.

In the mountains however, five siblings weren't that eager to celebrate Thanksgiving that year, because for the first time in their lives, they felt completely alone. Just a few months early, their father, John, had been diagnosed with tuberculosis and had been sent to a solitary hospital in Arizona where the disease would have nobody else to infect. He was well wished and hoped to get well soon and, of course, Olivia went with him.

With their older brother, John Walton Jr, or as they called him, John-Boy, living away from the mountains for almost three years now and their grandmother living in Indiana with her niece, the five Waltons had no one to celebrate with besides themselves and their cousin Rose and her grandchildren, who had come to take care of the house for a while.

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Early that Thanksgiving morning, Erin and Elizabeth left the house at the dawn without telling anyone where they were going. Just after breakfast, Jim-Bob decided to go pluck the turkey and clean it, while Ben and his new wife, Cindy, helped Rose tidy the house. The only one who wasn't working was Jason, who had injured his leg in the last days of war. The doctor had said that he would be fine in no time, but for now he needed to rest and stay off it as much as possible.

And while both the Baldwin Ladies and the Holly family had invited the siblings to spend Thanksgiving with them, they politely declined, saying that if they were to celebrate Thanksgiving, it should be in their own home.

A few hours before lunch, just after Jim-Bob had returned with the turkey, Cindy and Ben came down from the attic carrying a large box full of photographs.

''Why'd you bring that downstairs?'' Jason asked as Ben set the box on the table.

''Cindy found this box in the attic and we decided to bring it downstairs and take a look at it. It would be nice to remember our childhood a bit while Mama and Daddy are away, don't you think?'' he said as Jason stood up and came towards the table, limping slightly and sitting down at his mother's seat.

''Good idea!'' Jim-Bob agreed, withdrawing a picture from the box. ''Hey, I remember this day. It was the seven of us on John-Boy's 18th birthday. I remember Grandpa took us for a lunch at Ike's after that picture.''

''Oh, let me see it!'' said Jason. ''That was a nice day. That was just a few days before John-Boy had the accident, wasn't it? Just a few days before Thanksgiving.''

''Accident?'' Rose asked, while working on the kitchen. ''What accident?''

''The accident that took his sight,'' said Ben and in response, Rose nodded. Despite already knowing John-Boy, she had always thought he was blind from birth.

''Oh my, Ben. Is that you?'' Cindy laughed at a picture of baby Ben on John-Boy's lap, Mary Ellen and Jason at their brother's side.

''Huh? Oh, yeah, that's me,'' he said as Cindy passed the photo around.

''You were so cute,'' she said, kissing her husband's cheek.

''I was a bit jealous,'' said Jason. ''I thought with Ben coming, Mama and Daddy would like him more.''

''And they did,'' Ben teased him.

''But I was cuter than him, Cindy,'' Jim-Bob picked up one of his baby pictures and showed it to his sister-in-law, just before the door opened and Erin and Elizabeth came in.

''Where you two have been?'' Jason asked.

''At the cemetery,'' Erin said. ''Mama called yesterday and asked if we could clean Mary Ellen's site.''

''And we visited Grandpa as well,'' Elizabeth said. ''Are you looking at photos?''

''Yeah, come here Elizabeth, you can join us,'' Ben asked.

''I saw a picture of you as a baby, Elizabeth. You were real pretty as a baby, not that you aren't now,'' Rose said with a laugh.

''Oh, thanks, Rose!'' the girl smiled. ''Aww, look at this!'' Elizabeth said, picking up another picture.

''Oh god, it's a lion?'' Rose exclaimed. The picture portrayed Grandpa Zeb sitting on the porch, little Teddy napping on his lap.

''It's our Teddy. He spent ten months with us,'' Erin said with a smile. ''And after that, he lived his last years at the Virginia Zoo.''

''Seems like quite a story,'' Rose agreed, turning away back to the kitchen, Cindy and Elizabeth reluctantly following.

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For the next hours, the five Waltons continued remembering their childhood, telling told Rose about that Christmas when John had come home at the last minute, surprising everyone, the surprise party they had planned for their grandpa and the delicious pies, how their grandmother had used to make and Elizabeth study the recipe books scattered across the kitchen.

''Erin, are you alright?'' Cindy asked after a little while, upon seeing her sister-in-law staring at a picture.

''Yeah,'' she nodded. ''It's just... do you three remember this photo?'' she handed the picture to her three brothers.

''It was Grandma's birthday,'' Jim-Bob said.

''It was the last picture we took with Mary-Ellen,'' Jason said. ''A week later she headed to the nursing school but never got there.''

''Ben always talked so much about her. I wish I could've known your sister.'' Cindy smiled, but as Ben was about to speak, they heard knocking on the door.

''Are we expecting someone?'' Rose said as Jason limped towards the door and opened it.

''I don't really know why I knocked,'' a familiar voice said with a laugh.

''John-Boy!'' Jason exclaimed upon coming face with face with his brother. ''What a surprise! What are you doing here? How'd you come?'' he said, hugging his big brother.

''It's Thanksgiving, the first after the war. I thought of coming here and spending with my siblings a few days ago and just couldn't get it out of my head,'' he said. ''So, I took a bus and came.''

''Oh, wait until Mama and Daddy know you took a bus and came all this way from New York by yourself,'' Erin laughed.

''Well, I'm 28 years old," he laughed. ''Don't worry, I had someone helping me half the way,'' he said as Elizabeth took his arm and led him inside.

''Who?'' she wanted to know.

''A friend,'' he laughed. ''And by the way, Mama called me yesterday. She said Daddy is doing pretty well.''

''Hopefully by Christmas they'll be here again,'' Jason said with a smile.

As it was, John-Boy's arrival had brought quite a lot of cheerfulness back to his siblings. Of course, Rose's grandchildren couldn't stop asking questions about why his eyes didn't work. Other than that, the time he spent with his siblings was immensely pleasant, as they continued to remember their childhood, describing some photos to their older brother, who in turn, entertained them with stories about New York.

When lunch was ready then and Rose called everyone to sit around table, Erin and Jason suggested that John-Boy could sit at the end of the table, as he was the oldest and second in command after their parents.

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Dinner was incredibly fun. The food was amazing and having John-Boy there made everything much more enjoyable. It had been ages, years really, since they had all eaten a meal together, let alone a holiday meal like Thanksgiving.

After everyone had eaten second and third helpings, plates were pushed away and the family, full, happy and content, sat in silent company. After a moment, Elizabeth spoke. "What do you think Grandpa would say if he were here?"

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds until Ben replied, "He'd probably keep eating and Grandma would have to push all the food away from him, saying "You've had enough, old man."

Everyone around the table laughed, knowing that that is probably exactly what would be said.

Silence passed for another moment before Elizabeth spoke again, reverence in her voice, speaking the words everyone wanted to say. "I wish Mary Ellen were here."

''I bet she would have talked to President Roosevelt in person and asked him to stop the war!'' Jim-Bob suggested.

''Or she would've enter the army and help take care of the wounded,'' Jason said.

''I like to think Mary Ellen and Grandpa are in heaven, welcoming those who lost their lives,'' Erin said.

''And maybe Grandpa's telling everyone stories about when he was in the Spanish American war,'' Ben pointed out.

''I agree,'' said Elizabeth.

''I'm sure both your sister and grandfather are wat…'' Rose started, but feeling uncomfortable of using the word 'watch' she stopped. ''I mean… I'm sure your grandpa and Mary Ellen are up there, taking care of all of us,'' she said awkwardly, looking around the table.

''I have an idea!'' John-Boy said suddenly.

''What is it, John-Boy?'' Jason asked as everyone stopped to listen to the older Walton.

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Quietly, like on that fateful afternoon of 1936, the six siblings walked close together without much talking. Jim-Bob walked ahead, leading the way for his older brother. Ben and Cindy walked arm-in arm, and the girls helped Jason with his crutches. Rose followed behind with her grandchildren.

Once getting to the cemetery and finding their sister's plot, the six siblings held each other's hands and kept silent for a bit.

''Do you guys remember what Grandpa told us after the funeral that day? And what Mama always told us?'' John-Boy asked after a minute.

''He told us that Mary Ellen wasn't gone, she was just invisible,'' Jim-Bob said.

''And Mama said she's alive in our prayers,'' Elizabeth replied at his side.

John-Boy nodded.

''I think Mama and Grandpa were right. We never stopped being the seven Waltons. We'll always be the seven Waltons, no matter what, because Mary Ellen hasn't ever really left us,'' he said.

''Beautiful words.'' Erin squeezed his hand. ''I agree with you.''

''I do too,'' Ben said, and Jim-Bob, Jason and Elizabeth echoed the sentiment.

''I think we should give thanks again, to Grandpa and Mary Ellen who've been watching over us,'' Elizabeth said. ''Jim-Bob, you say the words.''

''Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity for being here today We're thankful for having our sister and grandfather always watching over us. Were also thankful for the end of the war and we ask you to protect our parents and keep them safe. Amen!''

''AMEN!''

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The rest of that day, no word about the past was spoken. Once they returned from the cemetery, they called their parents to wish them happy thanksgiving and no need to say, Olivia scolded John-Boy for returning to the mountain by himself.

Other than that, the day went smoothly. John-Boy took time to write, Ben and Cindy talked about plans to go on a trip, just the two of them, something they'd been wanting to do for ages, and Jim-Bob and Jason listened to the radio while the girls helped Rose in the kitchen.

Later that night, when they were all in bed, Jason called to his older brother.

''John-Boy?''

''Yes Jason?''

''I'm glad you came home. We missed our big brother a lot.''

''I missed you guys too. Good night, Jason''

''Good night,'' he said and went to sleep.

**END**


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